Trial Begins for Man Charged With Fourth DUI

The trial begins today for a man charged with a DUI – a fourth or subsequent offense.

Chad Christopher Hyatt, 39, was arrested on Oct 20 after a Report Every Drunk Driver Immediately, or REDDI report informed law enforcement that a 1980’s, two-toned Chevrolet pickup truck had become stuck in a field while doing “cookies in the field” and then became unstuck and began traveling south toward Laramie on Highway 30, court documents state.

According to court documents, an Albany County Sheriff’s deputy found the truck near milepost 290 on Highway 30 parked facing south just off the shoulder of the roadway. The deputy ran the registration of the vehicle, which came back as belonging to Hyatt. The deputy approached the vehicle and was able to identify the occupant of the vehicle as Hyatt.

The deputy noticed beer cans spread throughout the truck and that Hyatt’s speech was slurred, his eyes were bloodshot and watery and that the vehicle smelled strongly of alcohol, according to the affidavit.

When the deputy requested that Hyatt perform the standardized field sobriety test, Hyatt refused. The deputy placed Hyatt under arrest and took him to the Albany County Detention Center where he submitted to a chemical test of his breath. The test showed Hyatt’s blood alcohol content to be .11 percent, court documents state.

Upon reviewing Hyatt’s criminal history, the deputy discovered he had at least three prior convictions for driving while under the influence in the past ten years.